Systems and methods for dynamically registering endpoints in a network

• US 10,356,043 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terpstra, Richard D., Malas, Daryl W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US15/837,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5041 characterised by the time relationship between creation and deployment of a service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2564 for a higher-layer protocol, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2589 over a relay server, e.g. traversal using relay for network address translation [TURN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1073 Registration or de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Various systems and methods for dynamically registering a communication device with a network are disclosed. As one example, a system is disclosed that includes a home feature server, a central feature server, and a floating feature server. The floating feature server is communicably coupled to at least the home and central feature servers, and the home feature server is communicably coupled to at least the central feature server. The home feature server is associated with a communication device. The floating feature server is communicably coupled to a computer readable medium that includes instructions executable by the floating feature server to: receive an access request from the communication device; issue a services request to the home feature server; and service the access request. Various other embodiments and/or features are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically provisioning feature server access in a communication network, the method comprising:

periodically updating a network service resource list, wherein the network service resource list is an ordered list of a plurality of feature servers and indicates at least one feature server accessible via a load balancer;

receiving a registration request from a communication device;

providing the network service resource list to the communication device in response to the registration request, wherein at least one feature server is selected from the ordered list;

by the selected feature server;

in response to receipt of a network access request issued by the communication device, determining whether the selected feature server is a home feature server associated with the communication device;

based on a determination that the selected feature server is not the home feature server associated the communication device, determining whether the selected feature server is clustered with the home feature server;

based on a determination that the selected feature server is not clustered with the home feature server, querying the home feature server for the one or more service settings associated with the communication device; and

based on a determination that the selected feature server is clustered with the home feature server, accessing a database communicably coupled to a cluster comprising the home feature server and at least one of a floating feature server and a central feature server, wherein the database identifies one or more service settings associated with the communication device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one feature server is selected based at least in part upon a position in the ordered list.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one feature server comprises a central feature server.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one feature server comprises the home feature server associated with the communication device issuing the registration request.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one feature server is paired with a NAT traversal manager.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network service resource list further comprises a plurality of NAT traversal managers paired with the plurality of feature servers in the ordered list.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of NAT traversal managers are respectively paired with at least one of the plurality of feature servers.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for dynamically registering a communication device with a communication network, the instructions executable by one or more processors to perform the steps of:

by the communication device;

issuing a registration request from the communication device to a load balancer;

in response to the registration request, receiving a periodically updated network service resource list at the communication device, wherein the network service resource list comprises an ordered list of a plurality of feature servers compiled prior to receipt of the registration request by the load balancer;

accessing the at least one feature server included on the ordered list of feature servers;

by the accessed feature server;

determining whether the accessed feature server is a home feature server associated with the communication device;

based on a determination that the accessed feature server is not the home feature server associated the communication device, determining whether the accessed feature server is clustered with the home feature server;

based on a determination that the accessed feature server is not clustered with the home feature server, querying the home feature server for the one or more service settings associated with the communication device; and

based on a determination that the accessed feature server is clustered with the home feature server, accessing a database communicably coupled to a cluster comprising the home feature server and at least one of a floating feature server and a central feature server, wherein the database identifies one or more service settings associated with the communication device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the network resource list further comprises a first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair, and wherein the at least one feature server is included with the first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair, and wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing a NAT traversal manager included in the first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one feature server is a first feature server;

wherein the network resource list further comprises a first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a first NAT traversal manager and the first feature server, and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a second NAT traversal manager and the first feature server; and

wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing the first NAT traversal manager.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one feature server is a first feature server;

wherein the network resource list further comprises a first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a first NAT traversal manager and the first feature server, and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including the first NAT traversal manager and a second feature server; and

wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing the first NAT traversal manger.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one feature server is a first feature server;

wherein the network resource list further comprises a first NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a first NAT traversal manager and the first feature server, and a second NAT traversal manager and feature server pair including a second NAT traversal manager and a second feature server; and

wherein accessing the at least one feature server includes accessing the first NAT traversal manager.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a set of operations, the set of operations comprising;

periodically updating a network service resource list, wherein the network service resource list is an ordered list and indicates at least one feature server accessible via a load balancer;

receiving a registration request from a communication device;

providing the network service resource list to the communication device in response to the registration request, wherein at least one feature server is selected from the ordered list of feature servers;

by the selected feature server;

in response to receipt of a network access request issued by the communication device, determining whether the selected feature server is a home feature server associated with the communication device;

based on a determination that the selected feature server is not the home feature server associated the communication device, determining whether the selected feature server is clustered with the home feature server;

based on a determination that the selected feature server is not clustered with the home feature server, querying the home feature server for the one or more service settings associated with the communication device; and

based on a determination that the selected feature server is clustered with the home feature server, accessing a database communicably coupled to a cluster comprising the home feature server and at least one of a floating feature server and a central feature server, wherein the database identifies one or more service settings associated with the communication device.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one feature server is selected based at least in part upon a position in the ordered list of feature servers.

15. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein the set of operations further comprises:

based on a determination that the selected feature server is the home feature server associated with the communication device, retrieving the one or more service settings from the database communicably coupled to the home feature server.